Sunday Best
When I go to church this morning, I will wear a coat and tie. I will shine my shoes. There won't be any wrinkles in my shirt.
This is my ritual. I dress up on Sunday mornings.
No, I don’t believe in fashion shows at church. I’m not out to prove my threads are any better than your threads.
But I do believe in showing reverence in the way I dress on Sundays. So I opt out of the shorts and flip flops.
Call me old-fashioned, square, a fuddy dud. It’s just the way I was raised. On Sunday mornings, I dress up in my “Sunday Best.’’
It doesn’t matter if I suffer a bit, if it makes me sweat or itch. It’s not about about comfort. It’s about respect. I can deal with it for a couple of hours.
Sunday is not a “dress down” day for me. Never has been. Never will be.
I say all this because there was a rather lively debate on this subject in the “Dear Abby” column last week.
Not surprisingly, readers came down on both sides of the issue. Some were the traditionalists, like me. Others made the argument that it doesn’t matter what you wear to church, as long as you’re there.
My only problem with that attitude is when I see more and more people and more and more churches where the dress code is not only unwritten, it’s invisible.
Amen corner has become casual corner. I’m convinced some people try to see how far they can push it. Soon, khakis and a golf shirt became jeans and sandals. They look like they just finished working in the yard. They can do better, and they should.
It’s not a matter of wealth or affluence. It’s a matter of respect.
Sunday mornings should be dress up, not dress down.
When I go to church this morning, I will wear a coat and tie. I will shine my shoes. There won't be any wrinkles in my shirt.
This is my ritual. I dress up on Sunday mornings.
No, I don’t believe in fashion shows at church. I’m not out to prove my threads are any better than your threads.
But I do believe in showing reverence in the way I dress on Sundays. So I opt out of the shorts and flip flops.
Call me old-fashioned, square, a fuddy dud. It’s just the way I was raised. On Sunday mornings, I dress up in my “Sunday Best.’’
It doesn’t matter if I suffer a bit, if it makes me sweat or itch. It’s not about about comfort. It’s about respect. I can deal with it for a couple of hours.
Sunday is not a “dress down” day for me. Never has been. Never will be.
I say all this because there was a rather lively debate on this subject in the “Dear Abby” column last week.
Not surprisingly, readers came down on both sides of the issue. Some were the traditionalists, like me. Others made the argument that it doesn’t matter what you wear to church, as long as you’re there.
My only problem with that attitude is when I see more and more people and more and more churches where the dress code is not only unwritten, it’s invisible.
Amen corner has become casual corner. I’m convinced some people try to see how far they can push it. Soon, khakis and a golf shirt became jeans and sandals. They look like they just finished working in the yard. They can do better, and they should.
It’s not a matter of wealth or affluence. It’s a matter of respect.
Sunday mornings should be dress up, not dress down.
posted by Ed Grisamore at 6:52 AM
6 Comments:
I couldn't agree with you more, but I'm afraid we are on the endangered list - but who is coming to save us.
I hope men in suits at church never cease. Going to church in casual clothes was the attempt of some congregations to get more young people involved and in attendance. As with every good idea there can be a downside. Some people, you just have to spell it out to them or have a written policy somewhere that does. Even then some folks will just ignore protocol. So, it is up the the churches in my view, to begin to retrain the membership on appropriate attire. A suit, maybe not an Armani, will not be any stretch for most people. They just may have to cut down on those unneeded "dodads" at Walmart for 3 weeks. At least a nice pair of dress slacks, white shirt and tie speaks volumes for many. There's so much more to say on the subject but I'll just leave it at that.
AMEN! I remain from the old school and haven't even hit 50 yet! Like you said, it is all about the way you were raised.
Couldn't agree with you more. I'm not from the old school generation (just 30 years old this year!) but my parents taught me right. Fortunately, my church is still very conservative, but on the occasion when I visit some of the more casual churches in town, I am always over dressed. But that doesn't stop me from going to church, or wearing my Sunday Best!
If you were going to meet the Queen of England, what would you wear? If you had an appointment to speak with the President of the US, how would you dress? RIGHT! Here's the big question the majority of church-goers cannot answer! At a worship service, how many are in the audience? Think again! There is only ONE! The only One in the audience is God! Today, many think that the purpose of church is to entertain the audience. Oh yeah, it's a worship service allright, but who are you worshiping? The sole purpose of worship is to bring Glory and Honor to the Creator of the universe in gratitude for His grace toward us. We should be continually struck dumb with wonder at the richness of God's grace to us through the finished work of Jesus Christ. If you don't have respect for this, maybe you SHOULD just wear flip-flops and a tee-shirt as an outward sign of one's unbelief.
Keep the Faith..., the Reverence..., the Respect..., and the Coat and Ties!
Frank Avrett
Scottsdale, Az
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